The present technology relates to an image capturing apparatus, an image capturing method and a program configured to provide a good quality captured image.
In the related art, a variety of image capturing apparatuses each having a subject tracking function has been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2011-135285 discloses an image capturing apparatus for detecting and tracking a target area satisfying the predetermined conditions on a moving picture image captured. According to the image capturing apparatus, when the target area being tracked is moved to outside of the image or is positioned at an end of the image on the moving picture image, a direction image-captured by an image capturing unit is changed depending on the movement or the position of the target area. The image-captured direction is changed by utilizing an image vibration correction mechanism.
The image vibration correction mechanism has a limited possible correction amount (a limited possible correction range). When the subject tracking and the image vibration correction are performed by using the image vibration correction mechanism, the possible correction amount is exhausted due to the subject tracking and the image vibration correction may be suddenly ineffective. For example, when the scene where the subject is moved actively is captured (such as a sports day or succor), the possible correction amount is exhausted due to the subject tracking and the image vibration correction becomes suddenly ineffective, which may result in a poor quality captured image.
It is desirable to provide an image capturing apparatus, an image capturing method and a program configured to provide a good quality captured image when the subject tracking and the image vibration correction are performed.
According to an embodiment of the present technology, there is provided an image capturing apparatus, including:
a positioning adjustment mechanism for performing positioning adjustment of an area image-captured by an image capturing unit;
an image processing unit for recognizing a subject using an image signal generated in the image capturing unit;
a vibration detection unit for detecting vibration of the image capturing apparatus;
a control unit for determining a priority order of subject tracking processing for driving the positioning adjustment mechanism based on a subject recognition result provided from the image processing unit and image vibration correction processing for driving the positioning adjustment mechanism based on a detection result of the vibration detection unit, and for limiting an adjustment amount of the positioning adjustment mechanism for the processing having no priority.
According to the present technology, the positioning adjustment mechanism adjusts at least either of an image capturing direction of the image capturing optical system or a relative position between a subject optical image and the image capturing area in the image capturing unit generating the image signal based on the subject optical image, whereby a subject tracking and an image vibration correction are possible. In the image processing unit, the subject is recognized using the image signal generated in the image capturing unit. In the vibration detection unit, the vibration of the image capturing apparatus is detected.
The control unit determines the priority order of the subject tracking processing and the image vibration correction processing, and gives a priority to processing with a less movement within the captured image provided by the image capturing unit, for example. The control unit gives a priority to the image vibration correction processing when the zoom position of the image capturing optical system is on a wider angle side than a predetermined position, when the target subject recognized is not of a predetermined size or more within the captured image, when a moving speed of the subject target calculated based on the speed of the target subject within the captured image and a speed in a subject tracking direction detected at the vibration detection unit is not a predetermined moving speed or less.
The control unit gives priority to the subject tracking processing taking the subject to be tracked as a background subject recognized at the image processing unit at least one of the cases when the zoom position of the image capturing optical system is on the wider angle side than a predetermined position, when the target subject is not recognized at the image processing unit, when the target subject is not of a predetermined size or more and when the target subject does not have a predetermined moving speed or less. The control unit limits the adjustment amount of the positioning adjustment mechanism to the subject tracking processing having no priority based on a determination result of the processing having the priority. The control unit assigns the possible adjustment amount of the positioning adjustment mechanism used in the processing having the priority and assigns the rest of the possible adjustment amount for the other processing such that the positioning adjustment amount of the positioning adjustment mechanism is limited to the processing having no priority.
The control unit performs a limiting processing to a subject tracking amount in the subject tracking processing or an image vibration correction amount in the image vibration correction processing to limit the adjustment amount of the positioning adjustment mechanism to a possible adjustment amount assigned, and drive the positioning adjustment mechanism based on a combined result of the subject tracking amount and the image vibration correction amount after the limiting processing or a combined result of the image vibration correction amount and the subject tracking amount after the limiting process. The control unit displays discrimination threshold information that adjustment limit of the positioning adjustment mechanism is discriminable.
According to another embodiment of the present technology, there is provided a method of capturing an image, including:
performing positioning adjustment of an area image-captured by an image capturing unit of a positioning adjustment mechanism;
recognizing a subject using an image signal generated in the image capturing unit by an image processing unit;
detecting vibration by a vibration detection unit;
determining a priority order of subject tracking processing for driving the positioning adjustment mechanism based on a subject recognition result and image vibration correction processing for driving the positioning adjustment mechanism based on a vibration detection result, and for limiting an adjustment amount of the positioning adjustment mechanism for the processing having no priority by a control unit.
According to still another embodiment of the present technology, there is provided a program for causing a computer to execute a process, including:
performing positioning adjustment of an area image-captured by an image capturing unit of a positioning adjustment mechanism; and
determining a priority order of subject tracking processing for driving the positioning adjustment mechanism based on a subject recognition result provided from the image processing unit using an image signal generated in the image capturing unit and image vibration correction processing for driving the positioning adjustment mechanism based on a vibration detection result of the vibration detection unit, and for limiting an adjustment amount of the positioning adjustment mechanism for the processing having no priority.
The program according to the embodiment of the present technology can be provided to a general purpose computer that can execute a variety of program codes by a recording medium provided in a computer readable format, a communication medium such as an optical disk and a magnetic disk, a recording medium such as a semiconductor memory or a communication medium such as a network. When the program is provided in the computer readable format, the processing corresponding to the program can be performed on the computer.
According to the embodiment of the present technology, the positioning adjustment mechanism performs the positioning adjustment of the area image-captured by the image capturing unit. In addition, a priority order of subject tracking processing for driving the positioning adjustment mechanism based on a subject recognition result provided from the image processing unit and image vibration correction processing for driving the positioning adjustment mechanism based on a detection result of the vibration detection unit is determined and an adjustment amount of the positioning adjustment mechanism for the processing having no priority is limited. Accordingly, as the adjustment amount of the positioning adjustment mechanism is limited to the subject tracking processing when the image vibration correction has priority, the image vibration correction is possible even if the subject tracking reaches the adjustment limit. When the subject tracking reaches the adjustment limit, the image vibration correction becomes suddenly ineffective, which results in a poor quality captured image. It is thus possible to avoid such phenomenon.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present technology will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of best mode embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.